1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an electrical-current-producing thermoelectric device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The two most nearly related prior art devices, to the applicant""s knowledge, are U.S. application Ser. No. 09/487,565, filed 01/19/2000, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,986) and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/450,667, filed 11/30/99, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,549). Both devices each, and apparently most other thermoelectric cells, comprise at least one metallic component, which differs from some embodiments of the present invention.
Most thermoelectric cells, to the applicant""s knowledge, comprise multiple active components, differing from the present invention. Also, the output of most single thermoelectric cells, to the applicant""s knowledge, is related to cell size, differing from at least some embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention is described in three different embodiments. Each of the embodiments is comprised of only one active component, the emitter means, which displays thermally-induced electron emission. In each of two embodiments, the one active component is non-metallic. In the third embodiment, the thermally-induced emitter means is either metallic or non-metallic.
The first embodiment comprises a non-metallic substrate, a structural vehicle, in contact with a single active component which is a non-metallic electron emitter, displaying thermally induced electron emission. Single-cell output from a given type of the first embodiment appears independent of cell size. Multiple first embodiment cells in continuous series appear to require an experimentally determined length-to-width ratio wherein L=3x {square root over (10)}x W, or diameter instead of W, for each single cell. At least some series addition appears obtainable as the result of experimentally determined capacitance around a measuring increment of resistance in a circuit external to the cells. Even a small addition may be important given the fact that a cell can be quite small and apparently may be free of I2R effect. Two conductor lead means contacting the emitter at two different vicinities are not part of the cell design. The vicinity of a single cell like the first embodiment which is an anode appears to be that vicinity of the cell nearest, in terms of resistance, electrical load in a circuit external to the cell. It appears that in testing such cells, providing assurance that a meter part-circuit in parallel with a measuring increment of a circuit external to the cells allows less than one percent of output from the cells to pass through the meter replaces, at least partly, advantages of increased circuit resistance on the cathode side of the measuring increment previously seen to apparently increase cell output. Also, such part-circuit can serve to keep measurement values in the mv range which is often important because larger voltage readings apparently involve resistors in the meter which are of such material as to allow considerable migration, mentioned in Ser. No. 09/487,565, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,986) and result in little or no reading.
The second embodiment comprises a single, non-metallic, liquid or gaseous or granular or castable solid, active component, a thermally-induced electron emitter, encapsulated in a housing means. Two conductor lead means contacting the emitter at two different vicinities are not part of the cell design. Such cell is amenable to granular or castable or liquid or gaseous emitter means. The conductor lead vicinity which is an anode is apparently that vicinity nearest, in terms of resistance, circuit load in a circuit external to the cell.
A third embodiment is comprised of only one active component, a thermally-induced electron emitter capable of standing alone, having no integral structural support member as part of the cell and being unencapsulated. The emitter means is either metallic or non-metallic. Two terminal lead means attached at different locations on the emitter means are not part of the cell design. The terminal lead means location which is an anode appears to be that location nearest, in terms of resistance, to electrical load in a circuit external to the cell. Output of at least the metallic version of the third embodiment appears essentially independent of cell size. The metallic cells appear partly additive with continuous cells in series when each cell conforms to L=3x{square root over (10)}x W, or diameter. The metallic cells appear more additive than first embodiment cells and would be more amenable to operation at higher temperature. The cells may not maintain their initial percent addition. Experimentally-determined capacitance appears useful with the metallic cells as with the first embodiment.